About Vilay Vilay Khandelwal, a graduate student at the University of Southern California pursuing a doctorate in Neuroscience, was first intrigued by the realm of mammalian research following a presentation by Nobel Prize winning Dr. Torsten Wiesel discussing the developmental plasticity of the visual cortex. Although originally drawn to the study of microorganisms while earning his Bachelors of Engineering in Biotechnology from Birla Institute of Technology in Mesra, India, Vilay’s current research focuses on the visual processing which he studies by dissecting the local thalamic circuitry employed by the brain. While reading scientific journals, Vilay realized that public mistrust of science stems from poor communication of scientific results to a wider audience not accustomed to the subtleties of scientific literature. Under the guidance of professor and writer KC Cole, he is learning the difference between ‘writing in science’ and ‘writing about science’, which he plans to further his goal of increasing accessibility to the general public. With his training as an engineer and his love of writing, Vilay plans to pursue a career in science writing in an effort to increase general understanding and awareness of the fascinating world of science. Outside of the lab, Vilay spends his time hiking the mountains of Southern California (prides summiting Mt. Whitney), experimenting in kitchen (his stress-buster) or simply meditating by the beach.

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